One byproduct of winning regularly is mental toughness. Teams that win a lot more than they lose aren’t affected by adversity or a sizable deficit in a game.

“It made us really mentally strong just knowing that you can always win the game, and when you’re up you can’t ever let loose because you never know that other team might end up coming back,” Bills third-round pick told Buffalobills.com. “You just have to stay focused.”

And that unwavering belief that comes from winning stretches beyond the playing field and the faith one would have in his teammates. Fourth-round pick Ross Cockrell says the belief stretches to the sidelines as well.

“You have to stick in there and believe in your head coach and the process that he’s setting out for you,” he said. “Back at Duke we did that. We believed and made it happen. I believe in coach Marrone and the staff here that we can get that done.”